Ancient city charm, Cultural feast: Zhengding Ancient Town shines in Hebei

Traveling at a speed of 350 kilometers per hour, one can cross provinces in just an hour. Today, Tianjin TV reporter Zhang Jiao took a high-speed train from Tianjin to Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, to explore.

She arrived at a magnificent ancient building, the location where the 1987 TV series "Dream of the Red Chamber" was filmed—Zhengding Rongguo Mansion. And today, there was a one-day tourism ambassador—Wang Rongli, Deputy Director of the Hebei Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism.

Right away, Deputy Director Wang invited the reporter to watch a performance together. She introduced that the live performance was called "The Princess Returns to Her Family," recreating the grand scene of Jia Yuan Chun's return to her maternal home from "Dream of the Red Chamber." It was purposely scheduled for the night to give fans of the novel an immersive experience. Visitors could also follow the grand procession to travel back to the world of "Dream of the Red Chamber."

Located in Zhengding Ancient City, the Rongguo Mansion has a history of over 1600 years and is known as the "Southern Yanzhou, Capital Barrier." There are 38 existing ancient buildings dating back to the Sui and Tang dynasties. In recent years, Zhengding has completed over 20 projects for the restoration and improvement of its ancient cityscape, bringing a large number of cultural relics and monuments into people's lives in a more vivid and lively manner.

After enjoying the performance, Wang took us to the liveliest place in Zhengding during this year's Spring Festival—the "Zhengding Ancient Town Lantern Festival." One spectacular lantern stood at a towering 8 meters, depicting a renowned Three Kingdoms general from Zhengding, the invincible warrior—Zhao Yun of Changshan.

On the ancient city wall of Zhengding, thousands of lanterns lit up, attracting visitors from all over the country to immerse themselves in the charm of the millennium-old city. Wang explained that the ancient city's "nine towers, four pagodas, and eight major temples" all had corresponding lantern displays, making the lantern festival an immersive experience of Zhengding culture. Modernization with Chinese characteristics cannot be achieved without the inheritance and promotion of excellent traditional culture. Being able to ascend city walls, see ancient pagodas, and remember hometown nostalgia—Hebei has also intensified its efforts to protect Zhengding Ancient Town in recent years, preserving and utilizing cultural relics, inheriting and continuing historical context, allowing people to perceive the profound and extensive origins of Chinese culture, thereby strengthening our cultural confidence.

Through today's immersive experience led by Deputy Director Wang, the Tianjin TV reporter experienced the unity of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and the continuity of its culture. During the "Joyful Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Celebrating the New Year Together" event, celebrating the New Year in the ancient city was a highlight. By unlocking various ways of celebrating the New Year in the ancient city, residents of the three regions can enjoy cultural feasts and festive atmospheres right at their doorstep.

Finally, Wang gave the reporter a small gift—a stamp booklet containing famous scenic spots in Hebei Province. Deputy Director Wang enthusiastically recommended, "So close, so beautiful, spend your weekends in Hebei, and experience the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in just one hour!"

Through the guidance of Deputy Directors of Culture and Tourism Bureaus from the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and following the footsteps of journalists from the three regions, we witnessed the fruitful results of the decade-long collaboration under the national strategy of the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. The cultural vibrancy, historical heritage, and promising future are all concentrated in the united Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Let us look forward to a future where the economy is more prosperous, the ecology is more beautiful, innovation is more dynamic, and life is better in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region!

Translator: TANG Yuxin

Reviewer: ZHANG Bo